I was originally going to write a story with the title above but I realized it won’t do it justice as I will be writing it hastily. I haven’t had too much time lately to do the things I want to do. I rarely talk to my friends from high school anymore for precisely the same reason. If I just talk to them in haste, then I wouldn’t be really communicating with them but is in a desperate attempt to maintain the friendship while undermining the significance of it all. 

I met a friend who once told me, “I can’t afford to be optimistic because I will get hurt eventually.” She will just be let down by it in the end opening up a side which was closed up for a reason so simple and yet fully justifies her actions, the side of vulnerability. She is right. Optimism is always going to be greeted by a sense of vulnerability at most occasions.

Wars, misfortunes, misconceptions, social marginalization and heartbreaks are going to get you there. You are going to be hurt terribly and you asked yourself a question, was it ever worth it at all? 

I feel inclined to tell you yes. I also feel inclined to also tell you no. I’m a fairly optimistic person because I just am. Lately, that sense of optimism hasn’t really been rewarded to make me start asking my own questions.

I once said to a couple of people, especially when the times get hard, when it seems like all is lost, that is the time you have to stay optimistic and keep hoping. Others see that in you and hopefully it sparks a turnaround. If there was never a sign of hope at all, then there would be no reason left to do anything. By anything I mean anything. That’s how strong hope is.

I don’t know about you. No one really takes their own advice. No? Sometimes, people just sweep things under the rug and never face the situation head on. That’s how most people stay optimistic. Just keep sweeping it underneath and keep moving on in life. Someday, they are going to catch up to you and at that point, you have to make a decision. 

Yes, optimism leads you to being vulnerable but you have to take the risk sometimes. If you never take it, then you will never realize the full potential of that hope you have. To love is a big risk, but people take it anyways because it can be so rewarding in the end.  I guess what I’m trying to say is if you lose it all because you were optimistic and you took the risk, hang in there. You will need time to recover. It does not mean you stop trying. Take all the time you need. At least be optimistic about one thing, that one day you will get back out there. 

University has always been that place of hope, dreams and hopefully a symbol of change. For people who didn’t get around too much in high school, university often offers a path of escape into becoming someone different and doing something that actually matters to you. High school jocks will still go to unis to become jocks. Every party of the year will be attended because really that’s how we have all come to look at universities and colleges; the wild nights, Oktoberfest, costumes, beer contest and flings. The way it has always been portrayed in movies and series fills becomes assimilated in real life. Little did we know that this offers a path of escape too for troubled hearts. 

Each student has their own story and path to map out. From afar, when you see two students talking, what could be seen as a normal conversation could be the start of a beautiful friendship or maybe it was just something about the next social outing or maybe just about uni assignments. You never know. Sometimes we judge people too quickly and label them as we walked past. If you look close enough and beyond their appearances, you see affliction. You see a struggle within often not being told verbally or even action wise. It’s something you just have to observe yourself. Who really wants you to see them as vulnerable souls? Who really wants you to see them as weak beings?

We often lose sight of that and think that we ourselves have lots of problems and that people who always make jokes and keep laughing are normal fine people with no problems at all. Fact is they are not fine. There is just so much in life that we do not know about but we assume we do. Assumptions are often dangerous but it is also the way human brain works. We all are always going to be troubled by something whether it’s achievement, social or relationship wise. The trick is not to let it bother you but rather go through it with someone else. If it helps and it will, say a prayer too.

In the midst of tiredness and complacency, it’s easy to forget everything in life and just focus on yourself. You are right to do that. Sometimes, you do need a bit of time alone. When you are ready to go through it with someone, when you are ready to share your troubles with someone, go find them. There will always be someone out there. Don’t keep everything to yourself. Someone out there needs you the same way you need them. Chances are the friendships will become much stronger because of this.

A university is not a place of hopes and dreams. It is rather a journey you are going through. It is a path to learn your identity and hopefully understanding yourself better. It is a stage of life. You are at the age where you keep asking questions about yourself. University or college offers you that. Everything you learn in uni regarding the human heart, the moments and forces, probability or design is something you will definitely learn but remember the times with people where you thought they didn’t matter most or that you didn’t learn much. They might turn out to be the path of escape you need. The path to understand yourself and also to build friendships.